Understanding Israel, Palestine and Hamas
Israel and Palestine’s historic conflict:
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a constant struggle since Israel’s establishment in 1948; this war is not just the beginning.
For both sides of the conflict, there is an intrinsic connection to the land. Israelis and Palestinians—their culture, traditions and history—each claim the same territory as their own, which often leads to conflict as a projection of these very strong emotions.
In the formal beginning of this conflict, in 1948, some Arab-Palestinians and their neighboring countrymen, in opposition to the establishment of a Jewish State in the British mandate of Palestine, declared war on Israel on the day of its independence from British rule. For Israelis, independence was viewed as a new start for the Jewish people to regain the homeland they had historically been exiled from, and an opportunity to evade persecution, including the recent tragedy that was the Holocaust. The Palestinians believe that the Jews, by acknowledging the 1947 UN Partition Plan and referring to it as the “Nakba” or “Catastrophe" in Arabic, systematically took land and displaced the majority Arab population. The UN’s plan intended to represent the population density of both the Arab and Jewish populations, in accordance with a state for each.
The Library of Congress / The Samohi
This map details Israel and Palestine; the state of borders and sovereign control throughout the centuries, up to now.
While this singular event can be recognized as “the straw that broke the camel's back”, the conflict over the British Mandate of Palestine, and the later establishment of Israel, is filled with nuances.
Both sides of this conflict are not a monolith–21% of the Israeli population is Arab and Gaza is not just Muslim but also contains a substantial Christian population. In both areas, there are people with diverse opinions, some left-wing, some right-wing, some extremist and some liberal.
When Hamas was established in 1987, they engaged in terrorist activities against the Israeli people.Their 1988 Charter expresses a commitment to fighting against the perception of Jews taking over Palestine. Hamas has not held any elections since the group was elected into power in 2006 and violently seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Many Palestinians don’t associate with Hamas. Fatah (the current Palestinian Authority in the West Bank), according to the New York Times, was polling much higher than Hamas in 2006. The majority of Gazans live in extreme poverty, are often brutalized by the terrorist Hamas regime and have no option to exercise democratic freedoms (reported on extensively by the Human Rights Watch Organization). A recent analysis by Reuters found that Hamas receives millions of dollars in funds from Iran and Qatar. Surveillance by the Israeli military has shown Hamas holding a stockpile of food, water and fuel, yet these are all necessities that Gazans somehow lack. Hamas rocket fire has been regular for many years now. This often encourages further aggression from the Israeli Government, leading to a tragedy-filled life for innocent people on both sides. Palestinians view these Israeli strikes as unnecessary acts against an already weak Gazan infrastructure, and Israelis view them as a necessitated response to defend themselves from further attacks.
Following the 1948 War and the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel after being attacked acquired territories, including Gaza from Egypt and the West Bank and Jerusalem from Jordan. In 1948, 700,000 Palestinians left Israel-controlled territories for neighboring states. Over time, 5.6 million Palestinians, including descendants, have been displaced due to ongoing conflicts. As of today there are 1.6 million Israelis descended from Arab Palestinians. Post 1948, 1 million Jews were forcefully expelled from neighboring Arab countries and sought refuge in Israel, with only 26,000 Jews remaining in the broader Arab world as of today.
Many Palestinians, had earlier after the 1948 War compacted into the small Gazan Territory in the south of the country. In 1967, when Israel defeated Egypt in the Six Day War and with it took the Gazan territory, this led to an occupation that while giving some autonomy to Palestinians, was often perceived as unwanted. In 1978, Israel offered to give back Gaza to Egypt, which Egypt refused. Israel officially left Gaza in 2005, taking out all forces, and from part of the West Bank, an additional Palestinian territory. Israel still maintains a presence in parts of the West Bank and the majority Arab, East Jerusalem. Israel, prior to the current October 7th conflict, partially supplied Gaza with humanitarian aid; supplies, water and electricity. Additionally, thousands of Gazans went to work everyday in Israel.
Over the years, many negotiations have been attempted between Israel and Palestine. The most significant of these peace treaties was the Oslo Accords in 1993. The Oslo Accords, a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, agreed on Palestinian self-rule throughout the majority of the West Bank and Gaza, in exchange for the end of terrorist operations and the recognition of Israel’s statehood. Both sides accepted the agreement, and a two-state solution (Israel and Palestine coexisting as two established nations) was looking possible. However, after the fallout of the 2000 Camp David Summit (a later negotiation) due to concessions lacking on either side (Palestinian Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat walked away from the negotiation refusing to make a counter-offer to the Israeli proposition he felt as insufficient), increased Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory and a series of Palestinian terrorist attacks known as the Second Intifada, the peace process has looked unlikely between the two sides.
The core of the absence of peace between Palestinians and Israelis is that amongst each group are sizable and vocal subgroups who wish to acquire the entire land as their homeland. The Palestinians and Israelis who work for peace are fought by absolutists, such as in the cases of Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzchak Rabin, who was assassinated by an Israeli extremist for his role in the peace process and in the 2.4 million Gazans who live silenced under the fanatical Hamas regime. It is challenging to imagine a future without an Arab and Jewish population who live peacefully on the land that is Israel and Palestine.
The current Israel-Hamas war:
The current conflict in Israel and Gaza, beginning on Oct. 7, is an international crisis that has resulted in the death, wounding and displacement of thousands of Israeli and Palestinian people.
For 18-year-old Israeli, Ofri Halperin, a member of one of the Kibbutzim which was attacked, Oct. 7, 2023 is a date that will be forever recognized as the biggest tragedy in Israeli history.
Wikipedia Commons / The Samohi
Israeli emergency services collect civilians killed during the Oct. 7 attacks.
“The thing that is hurting me the most is that we have so many people that have been brutally murdered, so that it's becoming just numbers, and each and every person is a whole story,” Halperin said. “You have family and friends and when you have so many, it becomes cheap, you lose the value of life. And that makes me feel terrible. So many good people are dead now.”
Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, evading Israeli intelligence, inducted the most large-scale attack on Israeli soil since the Yom Kippur War. Terrorists overcame the Gazan border targeting Kibbutzim Villages and a Music Festival. Teens and young adults who were celebrating a peace event at the Music Festival were shot, hunted and kidnapped. Multiple Israeli Kibbutzim were burned to the ground. Many of the civilians living in these villages have been reported to have been beheaded, raped and dismembered. These include 15 members of Halperin’s own Kibbutz, Holit. Many were also kidnapped to Gaza, where over 200 hostages preside under Hamas control.
Halperin speaks about his own experience with his close friend Ivitar David being kidnapped.
“I remember the exact moment that we saw in a group chat of me and some close friends that he was kidnapped. And at first you can believe it, because it's just like, it's not connected to reality,” Halperin said.
Throughout all these attacks, over 1,200 Israelis have been killed.
Israel responded with a barrage of rockets aimed at military targets in Gaza. Israel’s strikes, numbering in the tens of thousands, have severely damaged Gazan infrastructure and reportedly killed 10,000 people according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry. Palestinians, already living in poverty and under the control of the terrorist group Hamas, have faced dire circumstances in their home. Many Gazans, after Israel announced a large-scale attack on the northern territory, have fled from their houses. The Israeli shutoff of electricity, water and food, which they had partially supplied before this conflict, has seen drastic effects on Gazans. The majority of the Gazan population is also under 18, leading to children living in what can only be described as a traumatic environment. Hospitals in Gaza have been hit with bombs multiple times, such as a failed rocket from the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Hundreds of thousands of buildings have been damaged.
Mike from the Arizona Palestine Network views Israel’s response as extreme.
“Israel, yes, they have a right to defend themselves. But if defending themselves includes collective punishment, on more than 2 million people living in Gaza does that make them any morally better than the Hamas fighters?” Mike said.
Halperin believes that Israel’s counterattack is necessary for its safety.
“I don't believe we should erase Gaza from the map. I don't think that's right. You also have citizens there who are not involved in this whole situation. But we do need to completely erase Hamas. It’s an organization of terrorists. We saw what they can do, they will do it again,” Halperin said.
Wikipedia Commons / The Samohi
Thousands of bombs have been dropped on Gaza by Israel, destroying tens of thousands of buildings.
Currently the Israeli military has encircled Gaza City and taken control of the northern territory. This comes as confrontation on the Israeli-Lebanese border with the Iranian proxy terrorist group Hezbollah is increasing. Israel has agreed to four-hour daily pauses in order to alleviate civilian casualties. Many Gazans have evaded the conflict by utilizing humanitarian corridors opened up by Egypt and Israel in the South. Rockets from Hamas targeting Israel have still been regular. A ceasefire currently looks unlikely, as military action from both parties continues.
The effect on the mental health of Palestinians and Israelis, at home and abroad, has been detrimental.
Daria, a 15-year-old Israeli, detailed the extremity the conflict has had on the emotional health of people in the country.
“I just couldn't stop crying. Honestly, I do not see a way for Israelis to bounce back from this because we will never, ever forget, no one's ever going to forget this. It's going to be something that's still going to be talked about. People are still going to be mourning.” Daria said. “This is the most Jews that have been killed in a day since the Holocaust.”
Layla, a 27-year-old Palestinian American and local Oregon activist, described the extreme toll the current events are taking on her.
“I’m just absolutely angry at how the world can watch this happen. Of course, there's sadness as well,” Layla said. “You know, my second cousin was shot and killed two weeks ago, in Palestine. And I have family in Gaza that we haven't heard from, so there's fear, there's sadness.”
As protests for both sides of the conflict erupt, specifically across the United States, both communities have felt in a state of social fear. Bomb threats have been made towards synagogues all over America, and Jewish university students have been the target of multiple hate crimes. Jews all over the country looked on fearfully as LA resident, Paul Kessler, a man peacefully rallying for Israel, was beaten to death with a microphone. Muslims and Palestinians in America watched horrified as a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy in Chicago, Wadea Al Fayoume, was stabbed to death 26 times by his landlord. The rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia has had a strong undertone on this conflict.
In Israel and Gaza, the anger directed at both governments is intense.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, perceived by many as anti-democratic and corrupt, will be held accountable in some way for the attack by Hamas, a massive national security failure.
In Gaza, the Hamas regime has been observed putting their military assets in specifically civilian areas, including; mosques, hospitals and homes. This practice, usually referred to as “Human Shields”, has been extensively documented in a report from the NATO Strategic Communications Centre. During 2014, Amnesty International also reported on widespread torture and killing carried out by Hamas against Palestinians seen as “collaborating” with Israel.
Overall, the heavy toll on innocent civilians on both sides is massive. Civilians have now lost demonstrable amounts of family, friends and hope. The date to mark the end of this current war is unknown, but what is known is that this conflict has affected, and will continue to affect, the lives of millions.
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